What saddle do you use?

Dethagorf

What saddle do you use on your roadbikes? What's your experiences about your saddle?

I use Selle Italia X1. I can't say it's soft. It gives me pain after long rider (like 100km+)

dannbodge

I use a Specialized Power Pro on both my bikes.

I had a bike fit and was recommended this saddle (in the correct width for me - 155mm) and it was much more comfortable than the Fizik Antares I had. Although that's probably due to the increased width

joey54321

Saddle is a very personal choice, but I will offer three bits of advice:

1) try as many saddles as you can, and preferably through a dealer and a demo program. Many manufacturers do have a demo program, but sometimes it takes a bit of emailing and persuasion (i've even had to tell a shop that they do in fact, have a demo program after asking the brand directly).

2) don't worry about weight or looks, for a saddle, comfort is king.

3) don't necessarily look at brands guides (according to one brand,I am supposedly a 168mm saddle, whereas I am more comfortable on a 143)

p.s. This is a good example, I have tried every Fizik saddle and find them all the worse saddles I have ever tried.

haydenm

Brooks b17 on the touring bike, some selle Itallia thing on the supersix which isn't so comfortable. Doesn't need to be soft, just the right shape, the only way to get that is to try lots

lostboysaint

joey54321 wrote:

Saddle is a very personal choice, but I will offer three bits of advice:

1) try as many saddles as you can, and preferably through a dealer and a demo program. Many manufacturers do have a demo program, but sometimes it takes a bit of emailing and persuasion (i've even had to tell a shop that they do in fact, have a demo program after asking the brand directly).

2) don't worry about weight or looks, for a saddle, comfort is king.

3) don't necessarily look at brands guides (according to one brand,I am supposedly a 168mm saddle, whereas I am more comfortable on a 143)

p.s. This is a good example, I have tried every Fizik saddle and find them all the worse saddles I have ever tried.

That.

And a Charge Spoon. Because it works for me.

keef66

My saddle discovery experience:

Alu winter bike: Cheapish Selle Italia something which came on the bike. Too narrow, painful sitbones. -> Charge Spoon. Better for longer. -> Brooks B17 Special. Armchair comfy from the outset. Winner!

Carbon summer bike: Borrowed said B17. Not as comfy due to different position; some perineal pressure. Plus it looked really odd, and doubled the weight of the bike. -> Spa Aire, their copy of Brooks Swallow. Lighter, and better for longer, but still ultimately some perineal pressure on longer rides. It did look quite racy on the bike though. -> Specialized Power Expert in155 width. Second hand bargain from a forumite. First ride was a 60 miler and I never noticed any kind of discomfort. It is, for me, the dog's danglies.

Anyone interested in a Spa Aire, in black, in as new condition? Or a Spoon in grey?

Matthewfalle

Dethagorf wrote:

What saddle do you use on your roadbikes? What's your experiences about your saddle?

I use Selle Italia X1. I can't say it's soft. It gives me pain after long rider (like 100km+)

Softness has nothing to do with it - it's about sit bones and pereneums and chaffing and stuff.

imposter2.0

It's a bit like asking "what size trousers do you wear?" - the answers will be pretty much irrelevant to anyone else reading.

BTW - I wear size 32...

singleton

I have a Prologo Nago Evo 141 on both my bikes - because it works for me.
I've had others including Fizik, and a different Prologo model, but I find that these work for me.

mrpbennett

Just swapped my Specialized Roman Evo Expert for a Fizik ALIANTE R1 OPEN REGULAR.

Yet to ride on it though so could be an expensive swap

drlodge

I have 4 bikes and three of them have a Selle SMP Lite 209.

lostboysaint

mrpbennett wrote:

Just swapped my Specialized Roman Evo Expert for a Fizik ALIANTE R1 OPEN REGULAR.

Yet to ride on it though so could be an expensive swap

You didn't try it first?

arthur_scrimshaw

Brooks Cambium C17, Brooks B17 std (Touring bike) Brooks B68 (Pub/shopping type bike) Fabric Line Race Shallow (Titanium) Fabric Scoop Elite Shallow, Charge Scoop (Early Fabric saddle)
So I guess Brooks and Fabric saddles suit my backside.
I've had Charge Spoons as well (I've still got three somewhere) but they are the destroyer of lycra shorts.

First.Aspect

I have a toupe. In fact, I have two - one for special occasions only.

darkhairedlord

Selle Italia something

mrpbennett

lostboysaint wrote:

mrpbennett wrote:

Just swapped my Specialized Roman Evo Expert for a Fizik ALIANTE R1 OPEN REGULAR.

Yet to ride on it though so could be an expensive swap

You didn't try it first?

Nope it's more or less the same design, shape and padding...i just wanted carbon rails lol but then again i never tried my specialized one, i just got use to it. I do know one thing though, i prefer the ones with the cut out the wattbikes in the our gym dont have cut outs and they're uncomfy!!

keef66

Arthur Scrimshaw wrote:

Brooks Cambium C17, Brooks B17 std (Touring bike) Brooks B68 (Pub/shopping type bike) Fabric Line Race Shallow (Titanium) Fabric Scoop Elite Shallow, Charge Scoop (Early Fabric saddle)
So I guess Brooks and Fabric saddles suit my backside.
I've had Charge Spoons as well (I've still got three somewhere) but they are the destroyer of lycra shorts.

I forgot that unusual feature of the Spoon. The unnecessary stitching also ate my first shorts.

FatTed

Brooks Swallow Ti (and Swift)

58585

Bontrager serano RL and RXL on road bike/CX and prologo T-gale on TT.
I have found that I am much less sensitive to using other saddles (eg when I hire a bike on holiday or borrow friends bikes) now that I am cycling more regularly/longer.

joey54321

mrpbennett wrote:

lostboysaint wrote:

mrpbennett wrote:

Just swapped my Specialized Roman Evo Expert for a Fizik ALIANTE R1 OPEN REGULAR.

Yet to ride on it though so could be an expensive swap

You didn't try it first?

Nope it's more or less the same design, shape and padding...i just wanted carbon rails lol but then again i never tried my specialized one, i just got use to it. I do know one thing though, i prefer the ones with the cut out the wattbikes in the our gym dont have cut outs and they're uncomfy!!

I love my Romin but hated the Aliante. I hope your experience is better. It might be a bit late but the Romin does come in a carbon rail version.

matt_n-2

Specialized Romin Pro in 155mm on two of my bikes and a cheaper version on my commuter (Riva I think).

Shape and width work for me.

ballysmate

I was gifted a Sella Italia by a well known forumite. Cured my ongoing discomfort.
So, to the generous soul on here.

peat

Brooks Cambium C17 on main bike (Domane)
Spa Nidd on the tourer
Charge Spoon on everything else.

I've been through plenty to get here, namely: Spesh Toupe, Spesh Power, SMP Pro/Drakon, Bontrager Affinity.

mrpbennett

joey54321 wrote:

mrpbennett wrote:

lostboysaint wrote:

mrpbennett wrote:

Just swapped my Specialized Roman Evo Expert for a Fizik ALIANTE R1 OPEN REGULAR.

Yet to ride on it though so could be an expensive swap

You didn't try it first?

Nope it's more or less the same design, shape and padding...i just wanted carbon rails lol but then again i never tried my specialized one, i just got use to it. I do know one thing though, i prefer the ones with the cut out the wattbikes in the our gym dont have cut outs and they're uncomfy!!

I love my Romin but hated the Aliante. I hope your experience is better. It might be a bit late but the Romin does come in a carbon rail version.

ill keep you posted! fingers crossed!

daniel_b

Fizik Ariones for me -100 milers are no issue.

neeb

I have S-Works Toupe Pros on all of my bikes but they are one of the older models - it seems to me that after Specialized introduced the Romin, the Toupe was redesigned to be flatter. The older Toupes had more of a rise at the back, somewhere in-between the current model toupes and romins. I love my older Toupes but am pretty sure the new model would be too flat for me. As a bonus, the older model was a bit lighter, same weight as the current S-Works Romin. I have to source my saddles lightly used on ebay now..

kingstonian

Selle Italia Kit Carbonio flow

I was measured for a custom steel bike 4 years ago and during that I must have tried 8-10 saddles. This one felt perfect, I put it on the bike when it was built and it has been perfect for me ever since. I’m actually going to buy another to put on my commuter.

964cup

I have:

3 x Selle Italia Kit Carbonio Flow. Probably the best blend of comfort and performance I've found. I like them so much I have two spares in case I fall out of love with any of the others.
1 x Selle Italia C59. Very very light (63g). Jury out on comfort. Will be taking it to the Alps for 5 days in a week or so, and we'll see.
2 x Brooks Cambium C15 Carved. Just the most comfortable things ever. I wouldn't want to Audax on anything else, but they aren't light. I've done a number of 12hr (saddle-time) rides on these with no discomfort at all during or after.
1 x Selle Italia Turbo 1980. Actually really not bad, I've done 100-milers on it with no trouble, and used it for the Eroica (which is a pretty good test of a saddle). Obviously not light either, but period-correct.
1 x Selle Italia Flite Ti. Also pretty good. Again, a retro thing.
2 x Charge Knife (the Spoon, but with Ti rails). OK - I've got one on my CX and one on my fixed. I've done 100km rides on them, but I find the shape a little unforgiving. Very very cheap, though.
1 x San Marco Rolls. No idea - I've only done about 120km on it in total. I bought it because it was blue.

I had an AX Lightness Leaf Plus on the bike that now has the C59. Hated it. (Must get around to selling it at some point).
Also tried a Fi'zik Alliante Carbon, but wasn't convinced by that either (it was the "bull", inherited with a bike I bought, and I suspect was meant for a more upright position). And some number of rebranded things that came with bikes and were probably ridden a bit before I binned them. Actually, the thing that came with my Bianchi Pista really wasn't bad. No idea who made it (it's Bianchi-branded) and it's heavy, but still. Changed it anyway, on principle.

There. Does that help? I suspect not, since you don't have my backside. That's the trouble with saddles - one man's down pillow is another mans torture device. Just be glad you're not female (unless, of course, you are). My wife went through at least five saddles before she found one she could even bear to do 20km on. She's got some Bontrager thing now. Comfort was unquestionably the only consideration - not brand, not weight, not supposed performance benefit.

mrpbennett

joey54321 wrote:

mrpbennett wrote:

lostboysaint wrote:

mrpbennett wrote:

Just swapped my Specialized Roman Evo Expert for a Fizik ALIANTE R1 OPEN REGULAR.

Yet to ride on it though so could be an expensive swap

You didn't try it first?

Nope it's more or less the same design, shape and padding...i just wanted carbon rails lol but then again i never tried my specialized one, i just got use to it. I do know one thing though, i prefer the ones with the cut out the wattbikes in the our gym dont have cut outs and they're uncomfy!!

I love my Romin but hated the Aliante. I hope your experience is better. It might be a bit late but the Romin does come in a carbon rail version.

I gave it a little test last night, super comfy with my Rapha shorts...im going for a 50m ride saturday ill keep this thread updated with the comfort / pain.

flasher

Decent shorts and chamois cream can make a lot of difference too.

mrpbennett

Flasher wrote:

Decent shorts and chamois cream can make a lot of difference too.

I totally agree on this. Since I bought my Rapha shorts everything is so much more comfortable with better bib shorts.